Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Value Of Self-Talk In An Early Childhood Setting, Althea Murphy

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to examine the self talk of the child and how it relates to the child's cognitive development. The views of Piaget and Vygotsky regarding self talk are compared. Development and varieties of self talk are examined. Factors that encourage and discourage self talk are discussed. The final chapter summarizes this study, draws conclusions from the literature, and this paper suggests guidelines for developing an effective program of self talk in the early childhood setting.

Character Education In The Schools, Holly Mcleod Gilliland

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this master's paper is to familiarize educators with character education as a curricular entity and to demonstrate that it is worthwhile to intermingle character education into a program without detracting from students' core subjects. A review of literature indicates that there is a character crisis among youth in America. Although character education has been present in some form in the earliest schools up to now, this intervention is being resurrected in schools with assistance from national organizations such as Character Education Partnership and CHARACTER COUNTS!

Ideas for the inclusion of character education are presented followed by a …

Developing Literacy Through Symbolic Play, Lisa Kaiser

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the effects of symbolic play on children's emerging literacy. Benefits, as well as problems, associated with facilitating literacy through symbolic play were discussed. Guidelines for teachers on the successful use of symbolic play as a tool for literacy development were presented. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations made for the future facilitation of literacy-based play.

An Instructional Development Project In Grade Two : The Theme Of Friendship, Trudy L. Lainson

Graduate Research Papers

The theme of friendship was extended through quality literature experiences and related expressive activities to second grade children at the beginning of the school year. The primary goals were to involve children in the language processes and to develop a community of friendly learners. Teacher-directed and student-initiated activities were provided. The student-initiated activities were presented as options through literature-based learning centers. The goals of the centers included ways to make friends and to be a friend, an understanding that friends can be of all ages, involvement in pals, ways to cope with difficulties encountered in friendships and to recognize each …

A Thematic Unit For A Reading Program In Grade Two Oral History, Tracy M. Daugherty

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to present the benefits of a literature-based reading program. Included in this paper is an example of a literature-based unit presented to a second grade class. This instructional development unit included several components for student learning.

Expending The Content Of Curriculum : Implementation Of The World Wide Web Into Foreign Language Teaching, Ping Gao

Graduate Research Papers

This study investigated the factors that impact the decisions to integrate the World Wide Web into foreign language curriculum. This inquiry involved a combined approach -- including a survey and a case study. The current status of the technology application in foreign language instruction at a state university in the United States was assessed through the survey. It revealed that integrating the Web was the least immediate concern of most foreign language professors due to their limited knowledge, their inadequate training, and their ambiguous attitudes. A case study of an innovator's practice of integrating the Web in foreign language instruction …

Integrating Technology Into The Science Curriculum : Environmental Studies Grade 5, Lois Diane Enger

Graduate Research Papers

The project was developed to illustrate a process for including hands-on use of technology in an environmental education activity. The requirements for an integrated curriculum identified by McRel are incorporated: science, technology, language arts, math, and life skills. Activities included are discussion of the topic, writing and editing a script, digital photography, computer usage including scanning, on-site visiting, and teacher and student evaluation. The on-site visit was conducted at a nature center.

Classroom activities involved planning, research, storyboarding, organizing visual materials, script writing, and creating a computer-generated presentation using mPOWER, a presentation software program. The completed computer presentation was converted …

Integrating Literature-Based Language Arts And Mathematics, Lora L. Irvine

Graduate Research Papers

The National Counsel of Teachers in Mathematics in 1989 developed a list of 13 mathematical standards that would lead to a more effective way to teach mathematics. Before they began their list of standards, they made a list of goals. These goals stressed the importance of making learning relevant to the learner.

The goals that the NCTM developed are similar to the theoretical formulations that support instruction in the language arts. Many leading authorities in language arts advocate an instructional program that extends literature-based language arts across the curriculum. The content areas provide content and experiences with the functions of …

Literature-Based Language Arts Extended To Mathematics, Carrie L. Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

A literature-based language arts program provides opportunities for children to create meaning through quality literature experiences. Children's learning is integrated, and connections are made across the curriculum. The mathematics and language process are related and can be integrated into units of study through the genres of literature.

A unit of study on circles provided kindergarten children with quality literature and related expressive activities that facilitated the understanding of the concept of circle. As a result of this literature-based language arts program extended to mathematics, children's knowledge was integrated, peer interaction increased, and the reading-writing processes were connected. Children's enthusiasm for …

Parental And Community Involvement In Reading Education, Rhonda S. Johnstone

Graduate Research Papers

Research shows the effects of parental involvement in reading education to be beneficial to students, parents, teachers, and schools. Parental involvement can aid students in keeping up with (and possibly catching up with) grade level reading, learn to appreciate books, and about the various ways of communication in real life situations. Parent involvement helps parents gain the understanding of their children's strengths and weaknesses in literacy acquisition and the opportunity to assist in their development. Teachers may gain an insight into students, and their literate activities outside of school, which might help with curriculum development. At the same time, schools …

Children's Perceptions Of Older Adults : Past And Present, Mary Kathryn Hatcher Jones

Graduate Research Papers

This study compared more recent research findings, 1990s to present, with the results of earlier research studies, 1970s and 1980s, to determine whether children's perceptions of older adults have changed. Factors that contribute to and inhibit children's positive perceptions of older adults were identified. Guidelines for facilitating children's positive perceptions of older adults were suggested, and conclusions were drawn from the literature. Recommendations were made for further study of children's perceptions of older adults.

Creating A Web Page For The Professional And Scientific Council At The University Of Northern Iowa, Rochelle Lee Gehrke Loonan

Graduate Research Papers

A web site was created for the Professional and Scientific Council at the University of Northern Iowa. This site can be visited at www.uni.edu/ps_council. This site was created as a resource for the Professional and Scientific Staff. It includes links to payroll and benefits, along with background of the council, listing of the council members and information on meetings and monthly events.

The methodology used to create the site will be addressed which will include discussion of why to build a site, categories of sites, planning the site, the design process, design principles and the presentation of information on …

Writing Portfolios In A Second Grade Classroom, Cheryl R. Schwery

Graduate Research Papers

Assessment of a student's writing ability should entail descriptive qualitative techniques. One way to provide a qualitative assessment is through the use of portfolios. In using portfolios, students are actively immersed in their own learning and in establishing goals for future learning. In doing this, instruction is more closely related to assessment. The value of writing portfolios, implementation, and introduction of portfolios within a second grade classroom will be discussed. Focus will be on three second grade students, with varying abilities, as they progress in their writing and instructional needs.

Impact Of Fatherlessness On A Child's Needs Based On Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs, Ivy S. Thompkins

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this literature review is to provide readers with an insight into one of the things that impacts a child's needs. That one thing, unfortunately, is the absence of a father in his or her life. This paper reviews literature on the different needs (Physiological, Safety, Love and Belongingness, Esteem, and Self-Actualization) that a child has according to Abraham Maslow. After each need has been determined and defined, then the impact of fatherlessness on those needs are discussed. The role of the single mother and society are also mentioned. Guidelines of how fathers, mothers, and society can impact …

Writing Portfolios In A Resource Room, Marcquelyn S. Allensworth

Graduate Research Papers

Much attention has been given to the issue of assessing students' writing. The trend to view writing as a process has prompted educators to use qualitative assessment techniques to describe children's writing progress and instructional needs. The writing portfolio, one qualitative technique, provides an ongoing assessment that can be used throughout the year and extended throughout the school career of the child. In portfolio development, students can be actively involved in reflecting on their approach to the writing process and can, in collaboration with the teacher, set goals for future learning. Therefore, this type of assessment closely connects instruction and …

School-To-Work : What Does This Mean For Our Schools?, Amy K. Leonhart

Graduate Research Papers

Over the course of fifty years the academic content of schools has changed dramatically. Today, employers are looking for different skills from their employees than they were in the 1950s. Therefore, schools have been given the assignment to teach young adults about surviving in the work force.

Where do these skills fit into the schools' curriculum? Is this just another item that is added to the plate of teachers? What time is the "right" time to start teaching these critical skills to youngsters? This paper examines those questions. It also focuses on the different aspects of the school-to-work initiative.

The Teaching Of Digital Vs. Traditional Photography, Carolyn Prins

Graduate Research Papers

I have been teaching photography in the traditional sense for over fifteen years. I have seen photography shift in those years from a silver-based medium to encompass the digital world, a filmless kind of art. The two media are very different, and the teaching of them are correspondingly different, yet the end result should be the same: a student who can produce an image that is visually satisfying, whether the image is informative in nature or is considered fine art. In this project, I want to compare instructional strategies for traditional photography tools to teaching strategies for digital photography.

The Lifelong Learner And Technology, Dia L. Davis

Graduate Research Papers

The teaching strategies of the educator alter to suit the needs of the students and technology. The content integration process takes time. It has been stated that teachers' first technology projects generate excitement, but often little content learning. Often it takes a few years until teachers can use technology effectively in core subject areas.

Teachers learn to use computer technologies and learn how to bring content learning to the forefront with, in some cases, impressive results on the part of the students. Teachers eventually learn to view the learning process in concert with their new technologies and come to understand …

The Reading Basal Adoption Process : What Do Teachers Have To Say?, Jennifer Bowling

Graduate Research Papers

This paper examines the reasons three separate school districts in Iowa have chosen to adopt reading basal programs, and the process that led them to a final selection. Nine teachers in three school districts in a metropolitan area of a large town in the Midwest were interviewed for their opinions on the importance of reading, why a basal was chosen, the adoption process and the extent to which they were involved, and suggestions to make this process better.

Predictable Text With Primary Age Children In A Title One Reading Program, Joanne H. Dearment

Graduate Research Papers

Readers create meaning in print through the process of prediction. Prediction and comprehension are intricately tied together. Reading predictable books helps young readers comprehend text because their expectations are repeatedly confirmed. Predictable text brings children naturally into the reading process and allows them to process print much as mature readers.

When predictable text is implemented into a Title One reading program, students can more successfully interact with text. This sense of achievement motivates them to become actively engaged in reading experiences. As a result, students became better readers because they are reading more. Also, they became improved writers because the …

Two Current Approaches To Science In Early Education : The Physical-Knowledge Approach By Kamii And Devries And The Science Education Approach By Diane Dodge, Seon Chun

Graduate Research Papers

The primary focus of this paper is to review the characteristics of two science approaches to teaching science to children: the physical-knowledge approach by Kamii and De Vries, and the science education approach by Diane Dodge. Similarities and differences between the two approaches are analyzed. The conclusion of this study found that both approaches emphasize children's active role in learning. However, Kamii and DeVries's physical-knowledge approach emphasizes children's logical reasoning development, while Dodge's science education approach places greater emphasis on content and scientific knowledge.

Concerns Based Adoption Of Instructional Technologies For Learning For Russian Pre-Service Early Childhood Education Students : A Pilot Study, Garth D. Cornish

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in concerns toward the use of instructional media for pre-service Russian elementary education teachers. Participants were a combination of 16 second- and third-year students in the early childhood department of Herzen Pedagogical University located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) was used to gather data for the study. A pre-test was administered before a specially designed series of seminars and workshops on instructional technologies for learning were conducted. Post-test results were gathered at the conclusion of the seminars and workshops. Findings indicated that awareness levels of …

Home Schooling, Julie L. Lange

Graduate Research Papers

This study addresses the issue of home schooling in our state and our nation. Benefits and disadvantages associated with home schooling are discussed. Guidelines for planning a successful home schooling program are outlined for parents. Conclusions were drawn from the literature review, and recommendations were made for the future of home schooling.

Establishing Genuine Parent/Teacher Partnerships : A Home Visit Approach, Kimberly Jo Foy

Graduate Research Papers

This article is based on a teacher's personal experience with home visits and the feedback she received from parents. The home visits allowed the teacher to have a holistic view of students and their families. Quotes from an on-going journal convey a deepened relationship between the teacher and her parents. The goals of the home visits were to gain a deeper understanding of the children as readers, and communicate the child's developmental progress to the parents. Another goal was to understand parent perceptions toward home visitations, and build a parent/teacher partnership based on mutual respect. The results section of the …

Emergent Literacy : School To Home Connection, Barbara Grell

Graduate Research Papers

All homes have opportunities to influence young children's emerging literacy. Parents or other caregivers and teachers can work together to help children develop literacy abilities. Sharing this responsibility between the home.and school demonstrates to children the importance of learning. Establishing connections from home to school and from school to home will help children make sense of the world in which they live. The school can provide families with ideas to support literacy development in the home.

A project to support children's emerging literacy at home is provided through the use of literacy theme bags. This project is designed for first …

Parents And Schools : Making The Literacy Connection, Patricia A. Greguras

Graduate Research Papers

Families can offer children many opportunities to read and write in their home. By being role models, parents demonstrate to their children the genuine functions of language. Letting children know that reading and writing are meaningful activities and are used for practical and enjoyable reasons fosters literacy.

A home/school literacy project was developed in a fifth grade class to encourage the home/school connection and to provide more parental support for the school program. Students wrote a monthly newsletter to their parents, read and journaled nightly with their parents, and invited parents to share their job experience, favorite book, vacation or …

Defining Readiness : For, Against, And An Appropriate View, Linda Harris

Graduate Research Papers

The appropriate time to begin kindergarten is no longer simply a matter of chronological age. Developmental readiness, or maturational readiness concern, has caused parents and educators to delay the entry of selected children into kindergarten programs. Some educators look to the developmentally appropriate kindergarten programs, or multi-age grouping in the primary grades, to solve the readiness dilemma.

This study reviews the most recent literature on the subject of readiness. It also looks at the benefits and problems concerning delayed entry. The study attempts to pull together an appropriate view of readiness for parents and early childhood teachers, and offers guidelines …

Delaying Kindergarten Entrance, Nancy Hayes

Graduate Research Papers

This study addresses the issue of delayed kindergarten entry of children five years of age. Benefits as well as problems were discussed. Guidelines for implementing a developmentally appropriate kindergarten program were outlined and conclusions were drawn from the literature. Recommendations were made for future kindergarten programs.

A Literature-Based Extension Of A Basal Reading Unit, Julie J. Holdsworth-Nagal

Graduate Research Papers

A unit on friendship in the basal reader was extended to include many literature experiences and teacher-directed and student-initiated activities for children in second grade. Quality pieces of literature from different genres served as the unit's basis. Many different expressive activities that extended the literature experiences were offered through learning centers, both sustaining and specific to the unit. Children worked in the centers individually, in pairs, and in small groups. Whole group sharing time at the end of daily center sessions was provided.

The print-rich environment with many opportunities for engaging in the language processes led to quality comprehension-composition connections. …

Winter : A Literature-Based Unit For Kindergarten, Amy L. Murray

Graduate Research Papers

A literature-based program in a classroom can provide many opportunities for children to engage in the language 'process. As a result, children's thinking-language abilities are extended and their enthusiasm for involvement in classroom learning experiences is enhanced. Literature experiences representative of the different genres add dimensions to the study of themes and topics.

A literature base and related expressive activity for the topic of winter in kindergarten is presented in this article. The subtopics of the unit include seasonal changes, weather, outdoor activities, clothing and changes in animal behavior. Teacher-directed and student-initiated activities through learning centers are presented.